


Spillover

by AutumnHour



Category: Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer
Genre: Advice, Anxiety, At this time I haven't read Stars Above yet, Blood Imagery, Canon Compliant, Childhood Friends, Coping, Family Bonding, Family Issues, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hallucinations, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Insecure Linh Cinder, Mentioned Characters, Mentor Winter Hayle-Blackburn, Past Abuse, Post-Winter (Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer), Pre-Stars Above (Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer), Prophetic Visions, Stress Relief
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:22:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29211063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AutumnHour/pseuds/AutumnHour
Summary: Linh Cinder doesn’t know a single thing about being a queen. It sounds very tempting to blow this whole thing off and issue a republic, but it wouldn’t be fair nor adaptable for the Lunars who held superstitions over the royal bloodline for generations.Perhaps, she could keep the monarchy intact, but with a different voice, a more suitable figure. A princess whom the Lunars already adored—Princess Winter. Determined that the kingdom would prevail under the kindness of her step-cousin, Cinder believes Winter meets the ideal image of a queen despite barely knowing her; a friendship she had forgotten long ago.
Relationships: Winter Hayle-Blackburn & Linh Cinder
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	1. Your Majesty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've recently finished this series, and oh my god why didn't I pick this up sooner?! It's definitely a unique take on fairy tale retellings, and it's a refreshing YA series! I remember hearing about the books before but wasn't interested in picking it up. What a mistake. 
> 
> I wish the last book expanded more on Cinder and Winter's relationship since they used to be friends when they were younger, but sadly we didn't really get anything. So I had to write this! It's not going to be too long, just something short and simple. And I'm trying to practice not writing super long chapters either.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this first one!

These gowns used to belong to Queen Levana Blackburn, her tyrannical, homicidal aunt. To this day, Cinder still couldn’t comprehend that unsettling fact. At least Iko seemed to like them, regardless of their former owner and extravagant fashion sense. Her own gown, crafted by the finest seamstresses on Luna, was perfectly folded over her bed. Before her servants would fix her hair and makeup, Cinder allowed her android friend, or advisor (she wasn’t used to that title yet) to preview over her closet full of gowns she never planned to wear. 

Oh no. Her brain began to buzz, overthinking about the implications behind her stay in this bedroom. This was _Levana’s_ bedroom. Everyone expected her to waltz in here with zero apprehensions at all. Why would she worry? This room was most likely one of the most luxurious areas in the palace, and she owned it now! No pressure or anything. 

Then she had a speech in almost an hour with the Earthen leaders in regards to cyborg rights on Earth. Heads would turn to her, eyes sightseeing her every move, listening to every claim she made. Right, no pressure or anything. She spoke with these people before, it would be no issue to do it again. 

Constant warnings from her retina display urged her to calm down. _You’re sweating too much. Slow your heart rate. Take steady breaths._ She told herself that she was ignoring her mechanical pleas when in reality, she just couldn’t focus. It wasn’t a choice that she was distracted, she really couldn’t pay attention. Her mind wandered lately, and it irritated her that she couldn’t control it. Only making her more nervous resulting in more warning flashes invading her vision. Too bad she couldn’t turn it off. 

While Iko dragged gown after gown from their hangers in the closet, Cinder patiently waited behind her. She folded her hands in front of her with a straightened back, giving a petite yet imposing posture like how she emphasized to herself. Her ears acknowledged that Iko was speaking, so she instinctively replied with mumbled but confirmative hums. 

Successfully fooling Iko, the android continued the conversation like any other. “Ooh! How about this one, Cinder?” She took out a sparkling white gown, shimmering with diamonds as the main material. The collar was a bush of swan feathers, and the long sleeves would undoubtedly drape over the wrists. 

“Whaddya think? Too much? It definitely is beautiful like always.” The former queen acquired a taste for lavishness, consisting of reds or the ironically pure color of white. 

“Mhm.” Iko imagined Cinder replying with a nod as she continued observing the dress.

“But now that I think about it, it feels just about the same as the other ones. Where’s the variety, y’know? Hm, maybe you could make an order that every Lunar has to change their wardrobe. Wouldn’t that be a relief, _your majesty?”_ The android joked.

“Huh?” Cinder snapped out of her worrisome trance when she heard that burdensome title. 

“I’m starting to think that you haven’t retained a single word I’ve said.” She was right. Accepting her defeat, Cinder finally turned to look at Iko who had the same idea. The way her eyes suspiciously narrowed over her didn’t ease her at all, despite coming from her friend. She had been witnessing that type of look a lot lately from tons of people. She should’ve gotten used to it by now, but it only served to make her feel worse.

“Ok, you caught me. Sorry, Iko,” Cinder apologized with a sheepish, lopsided smile.

“Nervous about the meeting?” Iko inquired. 

For some reason, the question ticked off the new queen. “What? Not at all! Just another meeting right?” She forced a confident laugh. _Exactly. It’s just another meeting._ She could feel her signals wearing off already. 

That was a lie. Iko surely read that, but nonchalantly shrugged. Cinder was secretly glad her friend didn’t press it any further. 

“It’s gorgeous by the way. The dress.”

Iko tilted the gown in her hand at different angles to give her options more thought. “What time is it?” she asked, lightly raising her eyebrow.

Cinder checked her implanted internal clock. What used to be done in the blink of an eye, took her a bit longer than usual. “A quarter to noon,” she replied. Had they really been checking out dresses for twenty minutes? Time flew, and Cinder hated how it raced so quickly these days. 

“Oh Stars! I’m sorry, Cinder! I didn’t mean to take this long! Hurry, you gotta get ready!” As much as Cinder wanted her advisor to take all the time she desired, she had already pushed her towards her lying gown. “See you there and good luck!” She called from behind her then hastily shut the door.

Cinder heaved a deep sigh, her throat intaking the stiff air that became more present when Iko departed. Her nose wrinkled, suddenly stuffing up. Oh no. She couldn’t be getting a cold. Was she? It was practically impossible, right? Then again, she had been sweating a lot recently. She couldn’t cry, but her tear redacts had been clogged, ready to burst like a dam. For now, it glossed her eyes. Her enhanced senses seemed to lag too. Out of all things that could happen to her, a common cold was _not_ what she needed right now. 

Racing her hands through her signature tousled mess for hair, Cinder snatched her gown and hurriedly dressed. At the top of her retina display, she set a timer for herself to await the incoming council meeting. 

_Forty-eight minutes…_

She tightened this dreaded corset that suffocated her chest and waist.

_Forty-seven minutes…_

With her upper body completely drenched in the white taffeta dress, she ruffled the long layers that covered the rest of her lower body from its nonexistent specks of dust. As if anything could ruin the dress.

_Forty-five minutes…_

Only one heel was needed. A trick for all her subjects since she just left her cyborg foot bare. It weirdly comforted her. 

_Forty-four minutes…_

Exhausted as if she had just finished a hard workout, Cinder gasped and unconsciously flopped into her bed. No. Levana’s bed. 

The striking realization made her eyes shoot open, and she instantly recoiled right back on her feet as if she spotted a sneaky spider. This very room met her limits; she could barely stand being in here. 

Cinder began to pace around the dusty room automatically as if someone used their glamour on her. Countless maids insisted on cleaning it up for her, but she eased their worries, telling them it wasn’t necessary. She had watched how they meekly abided by her request. How they quickly bowed and squeaked, _“Yes my queen,”_ and scurried away. She pursed her lips. 

Besides, she couldn’t tell them the other reason why she didn’t want a clean room. There would be no escaping it then. It would officially be _her_ room. As to be expected. Her predecessors slept here. Her aunt, her mother, her grandmother. All of them resided here without a bother, as far as she knew. And Stars knew what else they did in this very room. Cinder’s stomach churned, and she felt herself getting sweaty again. Ugh, this cold. That label didn’t seem so bad anymore, almost like child’s play. 

She was having a cold. Yeah that was it. Nothing more. Everything was fine.

Cinder turned to the wall that posted a mirror but then remembered that the glass was missing. Broken, Levana’s doing. She tsked. Right, she had forgotten to enlist an order that all mirrors were permitted on Luna again. Another thing to add to her forgetful list. 

Despite its fractured state, Cinder still walked towards it. She let her fingers trace over the intricate carvings of vines on the silver frame and peered up at the engraving of a crown at the top of it. 

Without the present reflection, she could still visualize herself perfectly, like her brain tried to stick pieces of an incomplete image together. She wore an outrageously long, glittery, taffeta gown with poofy shoulder cuffs that didn’t soften her shoulders at all. While it concealed her and attached to her skin like a leech, the gown exposed the front of her collarbone and chest.

Her hands were still folded in front of her. Whenever she entered this room, she always kept the flowing curtains closed. Behind them, they hid a balcony that loomed over a breathtaking view of Artemisia. The view entranced her on the first day she became queen, but after a while, it lost its flare and ended up making her feel guilty. Looking over all those Lunars who minded their own business, reconstructing themselves and attempting to make peace with one another. She wished she could join them.

Instead, she was stuck in this room. Surrounded by the softest silks, outstanding paint jobs on the walls, hanging crystal chandeliers, and the most precious jewels. 

Cinder focused on the broken mirror again.

Queen Selene Blackburn. The lost princess. The revolutionary. The criminal fugitive. The cyborg mechanic. 

Never in her life had Cinder felt more homesick. For the Rampion, not New Beijing. The only good thing that came from there was Emperor Kai. She was glad the days with Adri and Pearl ended. But if Peony were there with them, she might’ve changed her mind. 

That undetected, soaring ship she had grown accustomed to. Where her allies were on the run from both Luna and Earth while devising plans for finding Michelle Benoit. Convincing Cress to leave the satellite, kidnapping Kai to keep him from marrying Levana, overthrowing the said queen. Or sparring with Wolf, playing cards with Thorne, chatting with Iko and Scarlet.

From what she knew, Cress and Thorne flew on their own way. Oh, she wished she flew with them.

Scarlet and Wolf were enjoying their lives on the Benoit farm. Perhaps if she followed them, Scarlet would’ve taught her how to produce the best crops on Earth, or she could’ve simply played with the chickens, getting herself smudged in dirt and mud. It certainly beat having to wear these faultless dresses all day. 

Oh Stars, she missed them. So very much. At least she would be seeing Kai at the council meeting and had Iko there to support her, but she wanted all of them to be there alongside her. Like they had always been. 

_You can go with them. You still can. Abolish the monarchy. Start a republic. That idea is still up for the table._

“No, no. That wouldn’t be fair,” Cinder muttered under breath. She sighed and pushed her fingers through her hair again, messing it up even further. Why was this all so difficult? This was what she wanted right? This was her prize, becoming the queen of Luna. Her new subjects depended on her, anticipating the so-called elaborate and worthwhile changes she would place for everyone’s wellbeing. People died for their queen. For _her._ Lunars and Earthens alike—sacrificed because they believed in her. The cyborg mechanic. Their blood stained her hands. On cue, her glamour projected the sanguine liquid dripping off her fingers.

Panicking, Cinder wiped it away on her flawless gown. As quickly as the splotches seeped into the taffeta, they faded away. 

“Snap out of it, Cinder,” she scolded herself, clenching her fists before immediately folding them in front of her again. 

_You are going to do this. You have to. For your people. Don’t let their deaths be for nothing._ She heard the voice of her confident self. The girl in the mines at Sector RM-9, encouraging her fellow Lunars to rise against Levana. To take back their rights. Where was that girl now? She wished she could listen to her again. 

No. She was still there. She just needed to wake up. 

A soft knock resounded from her closed door, and Cinder instinctively made pathetic attempts to freshen up her appearance from the neck up. “C-Come in!” She silently cursed at her stutter.

To her surprise, Princess Winter stepped in. Or, former Princess Winter as she adopted the title of an ambassador now. Stars, she needed to remember these new labels. 

Cinder paused, her mouth slightly agape. Winter’s beauty never ceased to startle her. Her dark brown skin complemented amazingly well with her chiffon lavender dress. It grazed the floor, but a cut-out allowed her long legs to freely breathe, showcasing her white heels with a buckle in the shape of a rose. Like Cinder, her hair and makeup hadn’t been done yet, but that didn’t stop her curls from being perfectly defined with volume and her scars from looking any less beautiful.

While Cinder stood there in a brief shock, Winter brightly smiled. “Selene, there you are.” Noticing how her step-cousin winced at the name, the former princess nodded. “My mistake. _Cinder._ I know how you prefer being called that instead.” Winter lightly pranced around the room and ran her hands along the walls.

“It’s fine. I don’t mind, really,” Cinder reassured. She reminded Winter so many times, but she understood how it naturally slipped off the tongue. Her step-cousin couldn’t help it. She staggered back, startled as Winter abruptly came up to her, face-to-face. She was a few inches taller than her, so the sudden presence of her shining eyes caught her off guard. Winter smoothened her hair and ruffled her dress near her shoulders. 

“Look at you! So much like a queen!” Winter beamed as she playfully booped Cinder’s nose. 

“If you count this mess as queenly, then by all means, I agree with you,” Cinder pointed to her chaotic state and dryly sighed. “I’m not even wearing the crown.”

“Doesn’t matter. You look gorgeous either way, friend.”

 _Friend._ Winter called almost everyone that, especially to Scarlet. Yet whenever it was spoken to her, Cinder felt a nostalgic warmth erupt in her chest. Like she had heard it so many times before but failed to recall such a thing. It secretly pained her that Winter seemed so fond of her, and it fell one-sided. A major part of her wished that she got to spend time with her step-cousin more, but with the revolution and her queenly duties, time snatched up quickly and ensured a busy schedule. 

The broken mirror in the far corner of the room next to the bed caught Winter’s eye as she peered behind the new queen’s head. Her smile diminished to a solemn one, and Cinder found herself hating the sight. “Far better than my stepmother could be anyway,” she barely whispered then returned her attention to Cinder. “But you’re here now, and that’s allll that’s worth thinking about.” 

Winter fully placed her hands on Cinder’s shoulders as her broadened smile returned its flare with somehow even more kindness. “I understand why you don’t sleep here, dear cousin.” 

Cinder furiously blinked in disbelief, “Wait, you know about that?” Not meaning to hurt her feelings, the cyborg maneuvered her shoulders away from the former princess’ hold, now hugging her arms with bashfulness.

“Why yes! I’ve been taking walks around the palace halls recently. It helps my...me a lot.” Winter took a break in her sentence, shortly thinking of her choice of words before waving it off and continuing, “Anyway, I peeked in one of the guest rooms because I heard quiet snoring. Surprise, surprise, you were in there sleeping! I debated waking you up to scare you a little, but you looked so peaceful. Much more so than you’ve had this whole month being queen! I didn’t want to disturb you.”

Cinder was at a loss of words, honestly a little creeped out. Winter unexpectedly managed to reassure her with a charming wink as she brought her pointer finger to her lips in a shushing motion. “Don’t fret. I won’t tell the maids about this, I assure you.”

“Nobody knows actually. Not even Iko,” Cinder crossed her arms and closed her eyes, sleepiness overtaking her.

“Would you like your own room, Selene-er, Cinder?”

Wide awake, Cinder widened her eyes. “Um-”

“Well, you already have a room of your own, silly you! But I mean, a _new_ room. With new furniture, new sheets, a closet full of brand new clothes! Anything you want! Just say the word, and I can tell the servants right away! My, I’ll help too! You used to be so fond of fluffy things and-”

“Winter! Winter! Hold on!” Cinder brought her hands in hers, and it grabbed Winter’s attention instantaneously. “There’s no need for all of that. I’m pleased with what I have, thank you. It would be too much of a hassle.”

“So humble. You’re the queen now. You could have any room in the palace that fancies you. It sure wouldn’t be a problem. We have plenty of guest rooms that barely anyone uses; I’m sure nobody would mind renovating them.”

Cinder found herself chuckling as Winter’s enthusiasm rubbed off on her but she insisted, “Really, I’m fine. I’ll sleep wherever, whenever. And if I must, I’ll sleep in here.”

Giving their fists a little shake, Winter politely bowed and sang, “As you wish _your majesty._ ”

Her hands beginning to sweat, Cinder retracted them and prevented the urge to wipe them on her dress. 

“Oh that reminds me, I came here to ask if you wanted our makeup and hair to be done together? I’d say we have about thirty minutes before the meeting starts, so we’d better hurry!” Winter grabbed onto one of Cinder’s hands again and slightly nudged her toward the bedroom door. 

“Together?” Cinder questioned, not opposed to the idea just surprised by it.

“Of course! We have so much catching up to do now that I’ve finally got you unoccupied for a bit. Like two lone wolves who are lost from their packs and only have each other to find the way.” Winter hummed a soft howl.

If she hoped for some type of relief, Cinder didn’t see the harm, and Winter was more than happy to give that to her. Besides, the queen truly wanted to rekindle that friendship with her step-cousin. It was the least she could do. That was what queens did, satisfying the best interests of her people. 

Softly smiling, Cinder nodded, “Sure. That sounds nice.” The former princess wasted no time in pulling her out of the room, leaving it alone as it had ever been. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Side note, what do you guys think of the characterization so far? Especially with Cinder because I want her self-doubt and insecurities to be realistic. And Winter is already fun to write!


	2. What They Deserve

Everyone’s voices, even when taking turns, struck Cinder like a gust of wind. All she had done was welcome the Earthen leaders one by one. She desperately hoped they hadn’t bathed in her sweaty palms when she shook hands with them. They offered her courteous nods while her lips squirmed in comparison.

Each passing second, her ears desperately tried to cling to their words. In the very center of the round table that united them all together, she sat in her glorious gown that only seemed to tighten with each ragged breath.

To her right stationed Iko, and from underneath the table, Cinder sensed an uneven rhythm of tapping against the polished floor of the council room. Her knuckle rested into her cheek, her facial muscles constricting to hold back a yawn. On the opposite side sat Winter, eyeing the other Earthen members with patience and giving them her undivided attention. As usual, Jacin stood close behind her. Hands folded behind his back, back completely straight like a normal guard. Highly alert for any attack on his princess. Cinder envied his confidence.

Emperor Kai faced the opposite side of the table with Konn Torin seated next to him. Occasionally, he snuck sweet smiles in her direction. All the while staying calm and composed. Whenever Cinder caught them, it worsened her flushed state and her hands dampened. 

Her retina display beeped like an annoying alarm in the morning, continuously instructing her to calm her stress levels. But she failed to focus on her pounding heart, knotted stomach, her irregular breathing. It grew more difficult to pay attention to anything, especially this important meeting. Because as she concluded, everyone stared at her. 

Grateful for it, Kai initiated the meeting with a declaration that the Cyborg Protection Act had been repealed in the Eastern Commonwealth. The other members of the Earthen Union acted a bit surprised that the young emperor went through with the plan. He boldly stated how he believed the other leaders would be compassionate enough to replicate the action, his commanding tone making Cinder inwardly gush but feel a bit self-conscious.

While Prime Minister Kamin of the African Union seemed more compliant with the ruling, Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Bromstad of the European Union argued over how the citizens would adjust to cyborgs. Cinder had stopped listening at that point as a rushed thought urged her to adjust as well.

All those cyborgs counted on _her_ too. To offer them the rights they deserved. She was like them once. A cyborg mechanic who was discriminated against, tossed aside, only deemed worthwhile for the money she brought in the house. Now, look at her. The queen of Luna. Of all places. With a long-standing history of hatred towards cyborgs. Or any advanced machinery for that manner.

Maybe she could offer the cyborgs refuge here? But that would be counter-intuitive right? Having them run away like it was the only solution to anything which she had done for most of her revolution? What could she do? What could _she_ do?

Cinder bit the inside of her cheek. Her heart would practically fall out of her chest at this point. This was all too much, all at once. When she could barely even handle one thing. 

“What do you think is best, your majesty?”

For a moment, Cinder said nothing, trying to focus on turning down the volume of her warning beeps.

“Your majesty?” Someone repeated. Still nothing.

A light tap on her shoulder and a low cough caused Cinder to sputter in retaliation. “Huh? I’m sorry?” the new queen turned to her left where the finger came from. 

“President Vargas was asking for your opinion about the new acts he was thinking of enforcing,” Iko reminded her, a little too vague for Cinder’s tastes. 

“Ah.” She nodded, maybe too deeply. She chose this particular word choice instead of “oh” to show she listened, even if she had no damn clue what the American leader spoke of. Clearing her throat, Cinder folded her hands over the table, ready for an improv session. “For you see, uh, President Vargas of the American Republic...this act that you speak of...does it include good, um, intentions for the cyborgs?” She loudly swallowed, hating herself.

A brief silence ushered over the table. Iko’s eyes scavenged around the room, and Kai gave her a pitiful smile. Cinder desperately wanted to shrink back in her chair. 

“Your majesty, I don’t mean to be rude, but that was exactly President Vargas’ intention with the act,” Queen Camilla spoke up, lightly smirking but holding herself back, knowing her history with the past Lunar queen who wouldn’t tolerate such humiliation. 

“Yes indeed. Emperor Kai’s order and the other members’ consideration made me think. Surely some liberties and protective laws should be in place if cyborgs were to freely integrate into society. We can’t expect that our citizens will treat them all too well if they will no longer be subjects for the Letumosis cure. Precautions should be placed in order if such violence were to take place,” President Vargas elaborated. “Do you think that would be necessary?”

“U-Um, of course, definitely!” Cinder blurted like the matter was obvious but immediately tried to straighten her posture. “What would these laws be exactly?”

“Well, I was thinking that _you_ could propose what should be done. Being a cyborg yourself, I do not doubt that you would know better than the rest of us.” 

“Perhaps you could plan on meeting more of our diplomats on Earth,” Governor-General Williams suggested. “You could be the public face for cyborgs, uniting them all together.”

“Which I’m sure you’re already used to,” Queen Camilla lightly laughed, albeit in a more humorous tone. 

Cinder felt quite the opposite. 

“The Eastern Commonwealth needs it more than anything. Even though you’re the queen of Luna, some people still have their apprehensions and doubts. I’m sure you know the types of stubborn people,” Kai added, narrowing his eyes as his face darkened.

“Then once they have seen the judgment has slowed, maybe my people could hopefully see eye-to-eye as well,” Bromstad nodded in consideration. 

“We will make sure you feel welcomed on Earth, your majesty,” Kamin reassured. “I think we can all agree that you are far more compromising than your...predecessor.” Disgust lingered in his last words.

Cinder couldn’t help but feel honored that the other Earthen leaders were more optimistic in her capabilities, even extending their stay on Luna to converse with her, yet at the same time, a huge part of her misguided their confidence for something worse. Pressure. 

Nothing like Levana. A welcome replacement for Levana. Better than Levana in every way.

How could they be so sure? What if she ended up making the same mistakes? What if she made things worse? She should’ve been used to this responsibility, with starting a revolution only a month ago that now felt like years. But now as she obsessed over it, second after second, had she really liked it? All this hope placed in her hands like a peace offering, had it fallen in the correct hands?

Could she do this? How foolish of her to believe that once she became queen, it would end in a happily ever after. No. There was still more. Always and forever, endlessly. What came with optimism, pessimism followed. Just as the other Earthen leaders stated, some were skeptics who refused to change. If she followed through with this proposal, it would eventually have to fall onto Luna who despised cyborgs more than anything. Besides, not every Lunar was ecstatic over a cyborg queen ruling over them. She heard the whispers and felt the glares of other Lunar citizens, tagging along with cheers and smiles at her position. 

For once, she was sure of her own feelings and identity, only for it to be stolen away so quickly and effortlessly. But she needed to do this. She wanted this. She worked so hard for this. There was no turning back, no running back to the Rampion. No more breezing along the abyss of stars where they brightened anything and everything. Swimming in the cosmos without a care in the world.

Cinder shot nervous glances at Iko, at Jacin, at Kai. One inquisitive, one nonchalant, one understanding. It barely consoled her anymore, and that was perhaps the most terrifying thing of all. Her friends would support her no matter the cost because they believed in her _that_ much. She couldn’t even be seen as a normal person among her own close allies. To them, she was now the worthy Queen Selene. 

So if Thorne, Scarlet, Wolf, and Cress currently attended this meeting, would she find any of their looks reassuring at all? Or just another thing she had to worry about? Keeping their faith in her?

“Your majesty? Do you accept?” President Vargas raised his eyebrow. 

_Dammit._ Before she could stop herself, Cinder huffed from her loss of breath and wiped away the sweat on her forehead. Her cheeks were flushed in red, and strands started to stick out of the bun that the servants pinned up, messily falling over her face.

“I’m sorry your majesty, but are you ill?” Williams asked. When Cinder caught the worried frown on Kai’s face, she found herself sniffling on cue.

 _Please. Please let this just be a cold, and I’m delirious._ “I think so,” she said, a shiver crept over her shoulders when everyone in the room amplified their stares over her. “T-There’s no need to worry! I’m not showing symptoms of Letumosis. It’s most likely a common cold. It’ll go away really soon. I’m quite resilient when it comes to illness. Y’know, a cyborg thing.” She laughed, only to curse in her head when nobody responded to her attempt at a joke.

Surprisingly, Jacin stepped toward her, placing a stern hand on her shoulder. “Should I take you to your room? You need to rest,” he requested, his voice laced in his usual stoic tone.

“We could stop the meeting here and discuss the matter at a later date,” Torin recommended, Kai agreeing with a firm nod of his own.

Before Cinder could protest, Winter raised her hand and caught everyone’s attention, “If it’s okay with everyone, I’d like to propose something.” Heads leveled in her direction, some hitches captured in their throats, falling victim to the ambassador’s beauty. Rarely anyone paid attention to Winter in normal royal affairs, the former princess was used to it and remained quiet for her own sake, but once eyes laid on her, a hushed shift overtook the room.

“Is that alright, my queen?” Winter asked. 

If it meant she could take a break from speaking, then Cinder was glad to abide by her request. “Um, sure,” she obliged, returning her hands to her lap so that she could focus on calming herself down. 

Beaming, Winter turned to the Earthen leaders, completely unfazed by the suffocating attention, seeming to welcome it kindly. “With my role as an ambassador on Earth, I feel like it is only right for me to partake in these endeavors for giving freedom to cyborgs. It hurts knowing that all of our unions continue to be hesitant. I mean, our wonderful queen is a cyborg. My dear cousin, one whom I consider being one of my greatest friends!” 

Cinder’s eyes widened, and her lips squirmed into a shy smile at the compliment. Spotting it from the corner of her eye, Winter giggled and continued, “My offer is this: I want to go to Earth. I have never been there, so it would be quite an experience. And as a former princess, and a Lunar, I could speak for them as well. I hope that as a spokesperson, I could convince both Earthens and Lunars about the true nature of cyborgs. How they’re misunderstood, still truly like us. Still and always were human. As an ambassador, that is my job, is it not? I feel like I could be doing a lot more.”

Blinking, the Earthen leaders appeared in a trance. Holding onto every word, every hearty gesture from the former princess. Who could dislike or disagree with her? Her kindness combined with her self-assurance proved genuine and heartwarming. Never in her time as the queen had Cinder demonstrated this type of spirit, and a huge part of her was in awe. How could she do this so easily? 

How could _everyone_ in this room do this so easily? Her face burned even more. 

In an instant, Jacin returned to Winter’s side, giving her cautious looks about the thought of going to Earth. The ambassador responded with an adventurous wink. It appeared that Jacin planned to object but Winter mouthed ‘later,’ pausing him.

“Very well,” Torin ended the silence. “It would be beneficial for your highness to speak on behalf of the Commonwealth-”

“Oh please, just Winter is fine.”

“I-If that’s appropriate,” Torin stuttered a little at her interjection then turned toward his emperor for approval. 

“We would be honored to have you in the Commonwealth, Winter,” the young emperor smiled. He gave an expectant glance at Cinder who kept her eyes over her lap.

“Will you be joining her, my queen?” Jacin asked Cinder, more curious if he would be in charge of monitoring two important individuals.

As much as the thought of spending time with Kai on Earth sounded appealing, it would be coupled with crucial meetings and speeches that Cinder felt all too opposed to at the moment. As Jacin put it, she needed the rest. Even if that sounded selfish, the new queen wasn’t sure how much her brain could completely handle everything all at once.

Clearing her throat, Cinder saddened at her broken limits, “I’m afraid that for the time being I have to think over my visit. Um…” _What could she say? What could she say? Oh!_ “There are some things that I have to settle on Luna first.”

“That reminds me! We have a meeting tomorrow about the rehabilitation of the special operatives. And oh! Don’t forget about the mirrors and the update about the bioelectrical security system progress,” Iko piped up. 

“Right, right, I haven’t forgotten,” Cinder glowered at her own retina display marking her own lie. “We’ll keep all of you updated in concern for travel between Earth and Luna.”

The meeting finally concluded. Most of the Earthen officials were escorted from the room to pack up for their return to Earth while Iko, Kai, and Torin stayed behind, the latter waiting for Kai to be ready. Jacin and Winter already left on their own accord. 

“Are you actually sick?” Iko questioned, bringing her hand to Cinder’s forehead. The android lightly grimaced at the slop of sweat. 

“If you are, I can make tea for you,” Kai offered.

Cinder chuckled, “I have servants for that you know.”

“So? Let me be a caring boyfriend for once. No royal titles needed,” he waved off, kissing Cinder on the cheek without any fear over the risk of illness.

“You two never cease to be adorable,” Iko cooed, further embarrassing Cinder a little while Kai only laughed in response. “Why can’t I get a boyfriend as good as you?”

“You’ll get one in no time, Iko. No one can resist you,” Kai assured. “Hm, I think Cinder has some competition.” Rolling her eyes, the queen playfully slapped his shoulder.

“But seriously though, you’re not coming up on anything, right?” 

“Maybe, maybe not. Who knows.” Cinder shrugged before letting out a deep sigh. “I kinda just said that to excuse myself. I could barely listen to everyone for the whole meeting. Thankfully Winter can cover for me.”

“Aw. I kinda wanted to go back to Earth though,” Iko whined. “Can’t help but feel a little homesick.”

 _You and me both, Iko._ Cinder thought, thinking more of the Rampion more than anything anyway. “You still can if you want. You don’t have to stay on Luna with me.”

“No can do, your majesty. Where the queen goes, I go.”

“A little codependent, don’t you think?” Kai lightly chuckled, earning a pout from the android. “It would be nice if you two came to visit, but I don’t blame you if you don’t.” 

“Ugh. The only bad thing about going back to New Beijing is the chance of seeing Adri and Pearl again. If I see them again, I wouldn’t hesitate to give them what for. So hey, maybe it’s best that I’m not going,” Iko crossed her arms, trying to forget about her former owners.

“The time you guys do come, I’ll make sure they’re not anywhere near the palace. You have my word,” Kai jokingly placed a hand over his heart and bowed. Turning to Cinder, he reached to kiss her lips this time. “And Cinder, it’s okay if you were nervous during the meeting. Trust me, I completely understand. You did great.”

“Thanks. Even if I don’t really agree. You two are so much better at this stuff than me. I was jealous of everyone, honestly,” Cinder formed a lopsided smile.

“Hey, I don’t even know what I’m talking about most of the time, Cinder! You got this more than me, that’s for sure!” Iko reassured, engulfing her best friend in a quick hug. “Long story short, we’re all disasters.”

Softly chuckling again, Cinder gladly accepted the hug. 

Eventually, the room cleared out, everyone going their separate ways. Except for Cinder who vacated a little longer, ensuring Iko that she would catch up to her for lunch soon. With Jacin gone, three other guards patiently waited outside the council room doors, giving their queen her deserved space.

Cinder stared at an empty chair. Winter’s chair, right by her side. She recalled her step-cousin’s relaxed yet poised stature. How everyone during the meeting, including herself, invested in her proposition. She hooked them in with every word. They seemed to agree with her right off the bat. 

So persuasive, not needing too much convincing. A luxury that Cinder could only dream off, considering what she had to go through to motivate the Lunars to rebel against Queen Levana. She shook her head at the incoming sparks of jealousy that began to infiltrate her brain. No, it wasn’t fair to think that way towards Winter. For her whole life, the former princess experienced these types of meetings. It was innate, essentially an instinct for her to comprehend how to act and speak during these negotiations. 

_Expected from a princess. So much like a queen._

At that moment, Cinder’s eyes widened in realization. She rested her hand on the brim of Winter’s chair. The chandelier that leered over the round table went ablaze.

If her republic idea wouldn’t work for Luna, what if Winter was crowned queen in her place? Winter wanted to be a strong ambassador, feeling like she could do much more.

 _She can do a lot more._ An honest grin itched its way onto her lips. She wouldn’t have to be queen. As shown in this meeting, and how the Lunars adored their beautiful and benevolent princess, Cinder could barely see the faults in handing the throne to her step-cousin instead. She was already accepted, the Lunars familiar with her as a leader. Winter cared for both Lunars and Earthens alike. The Earthen Union had showcased their compliance for her and was appeased by her goal to do more as an ambassador.

_She could be more._

“Queen Winter Hayle,” Cinder whispered under breath, treating the title as a sample. It started to click. She lifted the silver crown that nestled over her head and observed it. She imagined Winter wearing it instead. How perfect it would look on her. It embodied the same relief of weight being lifted off her shoulders. 

A better queen—the one that Luna deserved, and for Earth’s sake. 

Leaving her thoughts to herself for a few minutes, Cinder defeatedly sighed. “Who am I kidding? I can’t just drop this onto Winter. That’s not fair to her.” Frustratingly, Cinder massaged her temples.

 _This is a stupid idea,_ she thought. Returning the crown on her head where it belonged, she finally exited the foreboding room. The three guards waiting outside their door halted in her presence. 

“Are you ready to go, my queen?” One of them asked, to which the queen silently nodded. Choosing to ignore her strange behavior, the guards simply shared glances and escorted Cinder to the massive dining room. 

Their heavy boots and her intricate heels clashed over the long carpet covering the plaster floors, muffling their echoes. On their end, the guards protected their sulking queen with her hands folded in front of her and head bowed in silence. For her, no matter how many times she tried to push away the “Queen Winter” idea, hoping to list it off as one of her dumbest ideas, Cinder couldn’t help keep it in mind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was hard to write the dialogue for this, especially in this type of setting.


	3. Beloved By All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy late Valentine's Day! (My plan was to update this yesterday, but laziness got me. And I had a stressful week that contributed to it)

Disregarding the transparent light radiating from the netscreen, Kai stretched a lopsided smile at his girlfriend who, at the late hours of midnight, showed no sign of resting. Instead of lying in her bed, blinding their faces together, Cinder aimlessly paced around another one of the guest rooms. Truthfully, none could tell the difference between the guest rooms and the royal bedrooms. Without the rare jewels and extra majestic silks, it appeared the same as any other luxurious room in the Lunar palace. The same concept applied to his palace. 

She dressed in a royal blue nightgown, and clutters of hair spilled out from her bun the more she ran her fingers through them. Cinder tried hard not to grimace at how oily her skin felt, even after she bathed with the finest soaps a few hours ago. The immense amounts of sweat ruined any chance of it turning smooth. 

Earthlight snuck into the room through openings left by the magenta curtains. As it occasionally glazed over her face, Kai could pick out the light purple blemishes underneath her eyelids. Eyebrows laced in concern, the young emperor tried not to comment on her disorderly behavior since the day he and the other Earthen leaders left Luna yesterday. 

The couple agreed that they would comm each other every night. Engage in small talk, play late night games, to simply forget about the royal world for a moment. Tonight, Kai wasn’t sure that was possible when Cinder commed him first and the connection fluttered to life, only for him to see the queen pacing in the bedroom. 

Pursing his lips, Kai finally broke the silence and asked, remembering her cold, “Something bugging you? Are you feeling better?”

Staying unresponsive for a short while, Cinder humorlessly chuckled and swept her scalp with her hand. She struggled a little because of the bun blocking her way, so she debated tearing away the elastic band and picking out all the bobby pins, letting her hair run wild. 

Before she could stop herself, the question slipped out of her mouth, “Kai, be honest...what do you think of Winter?”

At first thinking of the season, Kai tilted his head at the odd question. Until he opened his mouth in realization when she eyed him behind her shoulder. “Oh you mean the princess,” he dumbly laughed but tightened his lips when Cinder didn’t share the humor. “I don’t know her that well, but she seems nice. I’m a little excited to have Jacin and her visit Earth. Why do you ask?”

She answered his question with another question, “And how she spoke at the council meeting yesterday?” The way her voice hung in the stiff air traced it with desperation in Kai’s ears. “What did you think of that?”

Kai squirmed in his bed, messing with the sleeves of his brown pajama shirt, “She seemed like...she really cared about Earth and Luna-Cinder do you mind telling me what’s wrong?”

Not expecting him to shift the conversation so swiftly, Cinder hastily swiveled her body around to fully face the netscreen. “IthinkWintershouldbethequeeninstead,” A bit startled by the race in her words, due to her not typically lashing out in this manner, Kai paused and frowned with concern. 

Her breath heaved, her chest lighter than normal. As she let her head droop, and Kai patiently waited for her to calm down, the queen murmured, “Compared to me anyway. I could barely even function during an important meeting, Kai. I...I don’t know if I’m cut out for this.”

Cinder raised her head to meet the digital face. On the emperor’s side, the purple embracing her eyes took a darker hue. It spoke to him about her struggle more than anything but decided not to comment just yet.

“I’ve been thinking about it since yesterday. And Winter’s words stuck out to me at the council meeting. _‘I feel like I could be doing a lot more.’_ Wouldn’t that include giving them a more suitable ruler? A queen who has had royal experience and knows what’s she doing? Sure, Winter doesn’t have royal blood but her relations with my family is the closest it can get.”

Biting her lip, Cinder growled in frustration and followed through with her impulses. No longer caring a single bit, she pried off the band with bits of hair clinging onto lost hope. Pins clattered against the floor like shards of glass. Anyone else would’ve pictured a madwoman diagnosed with Lunar sickness, the way her hair cried for help over her shoulders, but Kai only felt empathy. 

Cinder slumped in her stance, her shoulders drooping with tangled hair above it. “I don’t know anymore Kai. I...I’m just really tired, ok?”

Sighing himself, Kai formed a gentle smile, “If you think that’s best, maybe you should do it.”

Cinder raised her head a little, surprised that Kai of all people nonetheless agreed with her. Especially with his own experience of being a young emperor, responsibilities, and duties raining over his shoulders. 

Then again, she couldn’t help but feel a little relieved by the support, “Y-You think?”

“Yeah. It’s what a queen would do right? Trust me, Cinder. I understand completely what you’re going through. Well, maybe not entirely because of your family situation and connection with the Lunars, but I get the idea of the whole thing. Sometimes, I wanted to give up too. I barely slept for days and drank an unhealthy amount of tea. Even for my own good.”

This time when he chuckled, Cinder did the same.

“That includes brainstorming too. Thinking of all the courses of actions I could take to better help my people and myself. Until I realized that was the problem. In the end, I was mostly thinking of myself. But as much as it pained me to do so, I needed to do what was best for my people. Whether they approved of it at the time or not. I was willing to put myself into positions that I found incredibly undesirable…” he shuddered at his willingness to marry Queen Levana. “For the people of the Commonwealth, so I could save thousands of lives.”

“What about the people who died for the revolution?” Cinder found herself arguing, this question lingering in her mind every time she thought of her proposition. “They fought for _me_ to be queen. And I don’t think they want a republic because of the whole sacred royal blood thing.”

“They fought because they believed in a better queen, Cinder. A queen who cared for their interests and would do anything to help them. A queen with a warm heart. I think Winter definitely fits into that category too.”

“Can’t deny that _anyone_ would be better than Levana at this point.” _Good. One less thing to worry about at least._

“See? I don’t think the Lunars would mind all that much. But Cinder, I don’t want you to think you’re a bad queen. Your reaction to all this is completely understandable and normal. There’s no way all this is easy for you. It never is.”

“You’re right. I just...worry too much.”

“Not at all. If I were you, I’d be panicking every five seconds.”

“You’re not too far off.”

“Any warnings from your retina display right now?”

For the longest time in days, Cinder focused on her vision. _Stable._ She smirked, “Not at the moment.”

“A good start already. Because I’m here of course.” While the emperor chuckled at his own joke, Cinder playfully rolled her eyes. 

Her smirk softened into a light smile, “Thank you though, Kai. I needed someone to bounce ideas off of. So you agree? I should really do this?”

“If you think it’s best, then I don’t see the harm. Besides, if you’re not queen anymore, there’s an open seat for empress in the Commonwealth.” 

“That’s a bit of a win-lose situation, don’t you think?”

“Depends on how you look at it. We’ll get to spend a lot more time together, that’s a win.” Since Kai laid on his stomach, his arms were crossed and propped underneath his chin. A little bashfully, he allowed his chin to sink further into his arms, hiding his lips. “I miss you, and it gets pretty boring sometimes,” he said with a muffled voice.

“Hm. Then maybe it doesn’t sound so bad,” Cinder considered, mimicking Kai’s pose over the bed.

“Thank the Stars you finally got into bed!” He suddenly shouted, unexpectedly spouting a burst of laughter from his girlfriend. He joyfully smiled himself.

“Ok, ok, I’ll go to sleep. I’ve kept you up with my ranting long enough,” she steadied her wheezing.

“I don’t mind. I would keep talking to you all night if I could, but you need to rest, ok? Gotta wake up bright and early anyway. Y’know, emperor stuff.”

“Same here,” Cinder lowered her eyes, already cringing at the work she had to get done tomorrow.

“Goodnight,” Their tired voices meshed into a chorus. Sharing an awkward laugh and kissing their two fingers, the young royalty lightly touched the netscreen at the same time, signing off. 

Even though his company was virtual, the room felt all the more barren. Her brain filled the hollow semi-darkness with her debate with Kai. The emperor never ceased to flutter her heart. One of the few people to really see her, treat her with kindness. Envision her as just more than the lost princess or the cyborg mechanic. 

Lying on her back, Cinder pulled the long maroon blanket until it smothered her lips. For the first time in what felt like ages, the ceiling blurred before being engulfed by darkness. Without her volition, her eyelids closed, lulling her to a deep rest with her free hair matted across the hypnotizing pillows.

* * *

Cinder had barely touched her breakfast. She couldn’t tell if she wasn’t hungry or if she was too tired. Because she failed to rest normally for the past few days, her brain maladapted to the unpredictable sleeping patterns. Grogginess dawdled after her, ever since she awakened. A bliss in her dreams was cut short when her eyes opened, overwhelmed by a gnawing desire for more sleep. To make-up for all the lost time.

Next to her, Iko emanated the opposite feeling. Energized and eager, she scarved down a plate of their breakfast: buttered wheat toast, the brightest sunny-side-up eggs, and mounts of red grapes picked from vines that bloomed the earliest in the royal garden. 

While the android chatted away about the orders to rehabilitate the Lunar Special Operatives, Cinder dwelled on asking for her opinion about placing a new ruler on the throne. Though occasionally, the queen paid attention to her ongoing conversation. It saddened her that her friend rarely spoke of boys, Emperor Kai, Captain Thorne, or social events anymore. Now, she took this advisor thing seriously, speaking mostly of formal affairs. She wanted to tell her to loosen up but went against it because at least the android seemed to be enjoying the responsibility. If only she had the same enthusiasm.

_But then what would Iko do if I left the throne? Would she still be an advisor?_

Quietly setting down her fork over her golden tablecloth, Cinder hadn’t meant to interrupt Iko’s speech but ended up cutting into it anyway. “Iko, can I ask you something?”

The android stopped in her tracks, drips of yolk and grape juice hanging over her chin. Sheepishly laughing, she grabbed her own tablecloth and wiped away the mess. “Sure! Ask away!” She didn’t hesitate to pop another grape in her mouth, closing her eyes in delight at the sweetness. 

Clearing her throat, Cinder’s eyes leveled over the long dining table. “What does our friendship mean to you?” The queen inwardly winced at the slight choke in her friend’s throat.

“Whaddya mean? You’re my best friend, Cinder!” She replied without hesitation, so confident in the answer once she regained her breath. “Nothing will change that!”

“Even if I...leave?” Cinder further inquired.

“Where the queen goes, I go,” Iko recited, not serving to make the queen feel any better. She poked her fork accusingly at her face, “Seriously, what’s been with you recently? You’re saying all this cryptic stuff, and I don’t like it one bit.” Anticipating the way Cinder raised her voice to defend herself, Iko furiously shook her head. “Nope! No excuses. Tell me, Cinder. What’s got you so down?”

In her lap, Cinder rubbed her hands together to shake off her nerves. _Well, it’s now or never._ She folded them, sweat building up in her palms and between her fingers.

“I don’t want to be the queen anymore, Iko,” she revealed, her voice surprisingly steady. So certain.

Iko’s jaw slightly dropped, her fork dangling mid-air. The android stared at the empty chair in front of her. Admittedly, they were the only ones sitting in the vast array of chairs. Strangely, Winter and Jacin were absent from breakfast. Cinder found it to be a waste of space but kept her mouth shut at the moment, finding the silence between them a lot more discouraging.

“Oh…” Iko slowly nodded her head in realization. The delay in her movements evident from the longer it took to take a bite of the buttered toast. 

“I’ve been giving it some thought, and...I think it’d be best if Winter took my place as the queen. B-But my decision isn’t final!” Cinder made haste to the latter part of her sentence, hoping it would add a bandage to the wound. 

After she swallowed a piece of toast that had difficulty sliding down, Iko forced a groan and pressed her back against the chair, neck bent below the top. “Awww. Now I won’t get to eat good food,” she patted her stomach and leered over the nearly empty plate of delicious breakfast. “Or I can’t boss people around anymore. Or wear cute dresses. Or talk to cute boys.” Faking a cry, Iko laughed and looked to Cinder for encouragement.

To her dismay, the queen’s face was laced with blankness. A seriousness that Iko couldn’t help but share. “Where would we go afterward?” she asked, her chipper voice diminishing.

Cinder shrugged, “I’m not sure. Kai offered that I could stay at the Commonwealth with him. Possibly as his empress, but...I don’t wanna think about that right now!” She hurried, getting flustered. “Or we could head back to the Rampion. Hopefully, Cress and Thorne aren’t getting too cozy with the lack of company. Scarlet and Wolf might have space at the farm.” While Iko stayed silent at the suggestions, Cinder caught her paradox. “That’s what _I’m_ thinking of doing anyway. You can go wherever you want, Iko. You don’t have to stay with me. All that food, those clothes, and boys, they’ll still be here if you want to be Winter’s advisor.”

In an uncomfortable silence for Cinder, Iko stared at her plate. The rest of the food braced for her hunger, but alike her friend, the android brought herself in a daze. She lightly tapped the fingers of the fork against the glass plate. Faint clink after clink, and it wasn’t until the fifteenth tap when Iko showed a response. 

Kindly smiling, Iko met Cinder’s dark eyes again. The queen nervously returned the favor. The android’s dark brown skin, blue hair braided together, the dress that matched the color she felt in her eyes today—amber. Despite all the forms she had taken, spare parts, the Rampion itself, or the former possessor of the body, Darla, Cinder recognized her as her true and loyal friend. And Iko easily reciprocated the sentiment.

“Let me word this better. Where my friend goes, I go. I don’t think things would be the same around here without you Cinder.”

A surge of relief electrified her, energy bolting the cyborg awake. Iko reached over the table, ignoring the blockade of glass cups and utensils, then planted her palm over the surface in front of her friend. “I don’t care where we go. As long as we have fun and be our truest selves, then hey, why not give up the throne, huh? Winter would be a great choice.”

Another genuine smile shaped over her lips, and Cinder accepted the invitation, placing her hand over Iko’s like a pledge. “Friends until the moon and back?”

With a toothy grin, Iko grappled their hands into an interlocked fist and proudly nodded, “To the moon and back!”

* * *

Usually, Jacin walked side by side with Winter. Whether it be the town square, the palace halls, the throne room, or the council rooms, the guard’s left arm would be locked with her right or he would stand behind her, glaring at any potential threat that would harm his princess. To Cinder’s surprise, Jacin had done none of those things today. Instead, he peacefully breathed in the cool breeze in the royal garden. 

In his hand nestled a healthy red rose. Its thorns scratched his leather gloves, but the guard was unfazed by the touch. Surrounding him were armies of not only roses but also hyacinths, sages, irises, and zinnias. Their petals blew in the direction of the wind, sprouting a bit more color. This was undoubtedly the most beautiful part of the garden. Gardners worked closeby, tending to fruits and vegetables that would be used as ingredients by the royal chefs. 

With his attention steered over by the enchanting gazebo in the distance, Cinder lifted the ends of her gown and carefully tiptoed among the fragile flowers. 

“Something you need, your majesty?” Jacin asked, effortlessly sensing the queen’s presence. He continued staring at the domed structure. Almost tripping over herself, Cinder stood straighter and folded her hands in front of her. When it came to Jacin, they hadn’t spoken to each other much since they were deserted together with Dr. Erland in Africa or when they needed to fix her up at a Lunar’s mansion. They had mostly conversed with suspicions and grievances.

“Nothing much,” Cinder casually replied. “I wasn’t expecting to find you here. I had to ask your fellow guards where they'd last seen you. Is Winter okay?”

Jacin sniffed the rose in his hand, sighing through his nose at the earthy scent. “She wasn’t feeling well. She...needed the extra rest.” Even with his natural emotionless tone, Cinder pinpointed the hesitant pause in his words but decided not to investigate further. 

“I hope it’s not anything serious. I’ll have the nurses check up on her later.”

“She should be well enough for us to travel to New Beijing. We’re planning to leave in three days.”

“S-So soon?!” Cinder choked. Dammit. She didn’t have enough time. 

Jacin raised his eyebrow at the queen’s outburst then peered over his single rose. “Winter wants to get there as soon as possible. Not for urgency’s sake anyway. Mostly for the excitement. She really wants to go to Earth.” A treasured rarity in Cinder’s eyes, Jacin formed a puny smirk. “I’m a little excited too.” 

“So you admit it? You miss Earth and the people there?” The queen suggested, smirking a little herself. 

Jacin nonchalantly shrugged, yet his smirk didn’t fade. “Give or take.”

As much as she didn’t want to steal the lightened mood between them, Cinder clenched her fists and got to the point. The guard preferred encounters to be quick and straightforward anyway. “Are you okay with Winter being an ambassador?”

Jacin silenced for a brief moment, only to shrug once again, “I wasn’t too into the idea at first, but you know how insistent she is. As long as she’s happy and I’m there for her, I’m fine with it.”

Cinder licked her lips, “If she were queen then?”

That got him. His eyes widened while his lips transformed into a grimace. He turned around to face the queen which she had grown accustomed to his cold glares by now. “What are you implying?” he sneered.

“It’s simple really. I want to give my throne to Winter. Do you think it’s a good idea?” Cinder tried to mirror his indifference, however, Jacin seemed more offended than honored.

“The throne is a place of corruption. I don’t want Winter to be involved with it,” He seethed, holding the rose in his hand a bit tighter. Noticing from his peripheral vision that it slightly wilted, he loosened his grip and soothed its petals with a graze of his thumb. Of course, he couldn’t say this to the queen—what about his relationship with Winter? She a queen, him a guard, it was incredibly inappropriate. And forbidden. The higher position would further strain their bond, and he already risked so much to finally be with her. 

A familiar, unsettling ripple of fear shivered through him. Shaking a bit on the inside, he responded with his usual icy tone on the outside, “Tch, does it even matter what I think? You’ll just control me to do what you want anyway.”

The remark stung. The unconscious temptation was present, now that he brought it to her awareness. She could. She very well could. Turn him into the good loyal dog that he should be. That was what he was used to. 

Cinder shook her head, “I didn’t mean to upset you, Jacin. I’m sorry for bringing it up. I completely understand why you wouldn’t want Winter to be queen.”

A mutual, crestfallen silence dispersed between them. Jacin eyed the rose, carefully twisting it in between the crevices of his fingers. His eyes couldn’t help but sneak a few glances at the queen in front of him, her bun a mess in contrast to her regal blue gown, then returning to the harmless red rose.

Jacin deeply sighed, “I should apologize too. I know you’re not her, yet I keep thinking about Levana. What she would do to me if we had this conversation. What she would _make_ me do. It’s not fair to you.”

“It’s okay. I get it,” Cinder reassured, giving him a kind smile. Secretly dejected that she reminded him of the cruel queen. 

“Whatever reason you have for letting Winter be the queen, I’m confident it’s for a good reason. I may not be happy with it, but if Winter is doing what she loves...then I’ll be happy with her. Protecting her.”

“Thank you for saying that, Jacin. See, you’re nice when you can be,” she joked. Earning a quiet chuckle from the guard, Cinder deemed it as a hidden victory. “In the end though, it’s not going to be entirely my decision. All that’s left is to ask her, and she’s the one to make or break the deal.” 

Jacin nodded with a light hum and before Cinder turned to leave, he stepped towards her and lent the rose in her hand. “Can you give this to Winter when you see her?” he asked.

Uncovering his stoic expression, the queen detected a delicate passion in his stark blue eyes. Cinder smiled and took the flower with no hesitation. “No problem. I’ll make sure it reaches her hands.” Jacin gave a light smile and headed off from the garden, returning to his duty. Sent on her own way, Cinder rejoined her own as a queen, a messenger, and a gift-giver. 


	4. Dearest Selene

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this was a stressful week for me, but at least I managed to get this chapter out. I hope you all enjoy it! Nothing too long, just a short chapter.

As Winter laid in bed, the sheets sticking to her back, she gazed through the grand patio door of her bedroom. Artemisia was the most beautiful in the Earthen hours of the late afternoon. The indigo in the sky hypnotized her, blanketed in stars. The brightest they could ever be. If she weren’t so drained, she would be standing on the balcony. Reaching her hand out to touch the jovial cosmos with the tips of her fingers. 

The thought left a bittersweet feeling. From this viewpoint, her eyes witnessed the stars combusting, its entrails turning red. Their droplets stained the sky of its blues, pouring everything in their path. The Earth, once a sphere containing clouds, oceans, and rocks, was completely engulfed by a bloody fountain. 

Luna believed itself to be safe, but Winter only laughed at nothing. It was inevitable. The blood would hit them too. And indeed it did. The deadly stars filled the craters, turning them into sanguine lakes. Rain would drench the Lunars, and Winter inwardly winced at the image of them writhing and being flooded in red, emitting the stench of iron. They would wonder if Lunar sickness suddenly hit them, unable to stop the horrid state they were in as they tried to claw the blood off their face.

The palace walls burst, the cracks pouring blood in place of debris. Winter found that at unexpected times of the day, her heels would leave tracks of red footprints. Whenever she grazed the walls with her palms and fingers to ensure only her feet were tainted, it didn’t ease her that the walls were bleeding too. And so followed her head, with every incoming migraine excited a drop of blood to slide down her forehead like she was a mountain, caverns of ice slowly melting. 

Both Luna and Earth bled. By the hour, the minute, the second. All completely random to her horror. Winter tried to ease herself that it was only a result of using her glamour for the sake of the bioelectrical security system experiments that she volunteered for. Levana was gone. Everything was fine. The palace would remain pure.

A nurse, standing to the right of her bedside, dabbed a wet cloth against her warm, sweaty forehead. She pursed her lips in concern. The mutual silence between them was both kind and understanding.

Until a knock at her bedroom door captured the quietness. Its sound paused in the beginning before rapidly finishing the rest of its tune, almost like it was unsure. Winter didn’t mind the interruption at all. Nodding in the direction of the nurse, she called out, “No need to knock! It’s open!” When the door slowly let in more light than there already was provided by the inviting curtains, Winter pleasantly widened her eyes at the sight of her step-cousin entering the room. “Selene! Er, Cinder! What a pleasant surprise! What is that dress you’re wearing? It looks lovely! And that rose...oh my you shouldn’t have.”

The queen was nonetheless puzzled at her ambassador who lied in bed. Regardless of the drained color in her brown eyes and the slopped rag over her forehead, which the nurse had to quickly adjust to its proper place, the princess still kept her beauty. Judging by her voice, devoid of a single croak or scratch, it was debatable if she were even sick at all. But Cinder worriedly contemplated if her fake illness somehow passed onto Winter.

“Don’t tell me you’re sick?” Cinder sighed, her eyebrows furrowing in sadness. 

Pulling her arm from underneath her blanket, Winter waved it off with the flick of her wrist. “It’s nothing to worry about. It happens with Lunar sickness. I’m sure you already know, but things are going great with Dr. Nandez. She thinks we might have a prototype available for testing by the end of the year!” 

Cinder softly smiled, “Yeah. That does sound great.” She imagined Lunars and Earthens freely traveling from Luna to Earth and vice versa. Such a lovely picture, but it was up to her to make it a reality. Walking to the other side of Winter’s bed, Cinder lifted the single rose further into her line of sight. “Jacin actually told me to give you this. U-Uh, not that I didn’t _mean_ to give you one, I just-”

“Don’t fret. It was only a suggestion for next time.” Winter winked and pointed to her dresser. It used to hold a mirror, an empty space left in its place. A lilac vase housed a collection of flowers that they grew in the royal garden. “You can place it there. What is it? The twentieth flower he’s given me?” She stifled a humorous laugh, but her face softened lovingly at the thought of her beloved. 

The queen did as she was told, gently nestling the rose in between a pair of zinnias. No longer by its lonesome. 

When Cinder turned to face Winter again, she eagerly brought her fingers to her chin. “Now tell me about this dress! Even in a more modest getup, you still look so much like a queen! Who wove it? I must know, so I can compliment them later!”

Before she arrived at Winter's room, Cinder thought it was best to change out of her royal gown, exchanging it for something more comfortable and casual. All she wanted was to hang out with her step-cousin, without any royalty standards between them. Just hanging out together, like Winter suspected they had done in their youth. Until she ended up dropping the bomb of responsibility that she wanted to deploy onto her. 

As she shyly ruffled the ends of her grey sweater dress, Cinder replied, “I thought that we could just hang out at the town square for a little bit. I need to get my mind off all this royal business. I’m not really sure who made it, but I’ll let my seamstresses know to expect you. Well, that was my plan until…” She gave a lopsided smile as her eyes leveled over Winter’s sickly condition in the bed.

No longer needing to hear any more words, Winter abruptly sprang up. The nurse experienced the same whiplash as the rag that rolled off her forehead and sank into the bed. 

“Oh Selene! Of course, I’ll go with you! Let me get dressed!” Winter beamed. She tore herself from the bed, but the nurse halted her tracks by placing a careful hand on her shoulder.

“But your highness. You need to rest. What if-”

“There’s no need to worry. I feel better already.” She broke into a musical number, humming a slew of notes effortlessly. “See? Still can pull off a perfect note.”

Understanding how stubborn Winter could be, the nurse sighed and shook her head with a soft smile. “Well. If you insist, your highness. Just be careful, ok?”

“Ah ah ah. It’s just Winter remember?”

“Right, Winter,” the nurse firmly nodded. Upon seeing a confused Cinder still present in the room, the nurse squeaked and bowed her head, scolding herself for forgetting to address her queen. “Forgive me, my queen. I hope everything is going well for you today. I’ll be going now.” When she scurried out of the room, Cinder gasped at the urgent pull on her arm.

“C’mon! Help me pick out a dress,” Winter said.

“Are you _sure_ that you’re fine?” Cinder reiterated, raising her eyebrow.

“As sure as the brightest apple that still hangs from the tree.” Winter whooshed open her closet doors, showcasing truly extravagant dresses that even the queen’s wardrobe couldn’t even compare to it. Now she felt insecure about her own dress, even if it was purposefully casual. In fact, her entire bedroom sang vibrance. The moonlight that she happily accepted into her room from her own balcony brightened the lavender wallpaper, sparkling like starlight. This was what people depicted when they thought of the queen’s quarters. Not an abandoned bedroom with cobwebs, or guest rooms.

Cinder snapped out of her trance when Winter maneuvered her body in front of her, facing the horde in the closet. “Go on. Help me pick out a dress.”

* * *

It took a lot of convincing, but Cinder managed to persuade the guards, especially a particular loved one, that she could explore the town square alone with Winter. At least the mention of the security cameras that littered the place eased their worries a little. The guards remarked that they would keep a sharp eye on their queen and former princess, yet knowing about Cinder’s glamour capabilities also eased them.

Their first stop was at a candy store. “After a doctor’s visit, you’re rewarded with a treat, are you not?” She noted. 

“Can’t go wrong with that,” Cinder agreed, all of a sudden feeling giddy at the thought of sweets. Granted, it had been so long since she had some. With starting a revolution and all, there was no room for candy. Although the candy shop owner insisted that their purchases be on the house, Cinder freely paid the owner and added an extra tip. 

Both Winter and her gleefully nibbled on caramel apples. Cinder’s treat was coated with the standard peanuts while Winter’s was covered in red and pink sprinkles.

“I normally would’ve gotten the sour apple candies. But they don’t taste as good as they used to.” Despite the painful memory of being poisoned by Levana, Winter cheerfully licked a sprinkle that stuck to her upper lip. At the sweet taste, she hummed in satisfaction and carefully traced her fingers over her cheek, right over her scars. 

They eventually stopped by at a familiar flower shop. Winter’s face brightened at the children who exited from the domed building. Cinder always awed at the domed structures that occupied Luna, and this flower shop with its glass surface emanating the purpose of a greenhouse was no different.

“Princess Winter!” One of the young boys exclaimed. Dropping his watering can, he raced toward her and jumped into her arms. The other boy had flower crowns looped around his arms. Neither of them took notice of the queen firsthand, their attention all on Winter.

“It’s good to see you!” Winter replied. “Helping out in the flower shop I see?”

“Mhm! We’re helping the owner water them.” 

“And they let us make these!” The other boy handed her a crown, bundled in roses. 

“Aw, you two shouldn’t have.” Clapping her hands in delight, Winter humbly accepted the gift and placed the rose crown over her head. It perfectly tucked over her curls without bothering them. 

Alike the children, Cinder eyed the former princess. In a white dress with blue floral patterns, she truly looked amazing. So pure. So beautiful. So...queenly. 

“Oh no…” The boy who gave Winter the rose crown immediately kneeled over Cinder. As he muttered to his distracted friend to kneel with him, he hastily corrected his stance. Cinder could’ve sworn she spotted a quiver in their hunched backs, their noses almost touching the ground. She felt a tightness in her chest.

“W-We’re sorry, your highness. W-We didn’t know you were coming. We would’ve totally made you a crown too if we knew!” They both pleaded like they had conducted an act of treason. It immensely pained her that when they saw her, they still saw Queen Levana.

“No, no, it’s okay! Really!” Cinder reassured. Bowing down to their level, she reached out for them to take her hands. “It’s really kind of you to make a flower crown for Winter. And you’re helping out with your community as well. That’s wonderful!”

Although hesitantly, the two boys took Cinder’s hands and staggered themselves to their feet. “W-We’re not in t-trouble?” 

“No. Not at all. Besides, I’ve got my crown. See?” After she pointed to her crown, Cinder gently ruffled their hair.

Sniffling to block back their potential tears, the boys sheepishly smiled, but still seemed wary of the queen. Evident from their excuse that they needed to return to work.

“Take care you two!” Winter wiggled her fingers while Cinder softly waved. They waved in return with Winter’s departure, yet quickly bowed in the queen’s direction before turning away. So inviting with Winter, but fearful with her. Cinder lowered her head.

“Why so blue, Selene, er, Cinder?” Winter asked, noticing the silence between them.

“Nothing I just…” She sighed, “I wish that they didn’t act so scared of me like I was going to lock them in a dungeon forever, or something.”

Winter sighed with her. “I’m sure they mean well. But, Lunars are just a little shaken up with the royalty after my stepmother’s reign. And I’ll be the first and most likely not only person to tell you that you’re nothing like my stepmother, your majesty. So don’t worry you’re silly head about it.”

“Yeah…” Despite feeling a bit uplifted by her words, a nagging ache erupted in the back of her mind.

For the next hour, they continued to stroll through the town square. Many people addressed the former princess with words of adoration while others regarded Cinder with formal bows or suspicious glares. The queen tried not to focus on it too much, instead shifting her attention towards Winter’s quips and songs. 

Hanging out with her brought a nostalgic feeling within Cinder. Not new or unknown, but familiar. Even though many people found it creepy or delusional, even herself at one point, Cinder grew fond of her step-cousin’s songs. Every time she started to sing about the wolves, Cinder couldn’t help but follow her lead. Without knowledge of all the lyrics, all she could do was hum the foreboding tune and bashfully howl, but Winter seemed delighted with the attempt and engagement. This time between them, for a short while, caused Cinder to forget that she even was a queen. 

However, once they reached a particular building, Winter paused in her tracks and stared at the structure. 

“Hm? What’s wrong?” Cinder asked, slowing down her steps with her. 

“My mother used to own that building. She was a seamstress. Now it’s a hat shop.” Winter felt herself reaching out towards it, hoping for a motherly hand. All that came was air, and a hat shop, its sign saying that it was closed for the day. “Oh, you would’ve loved her. My father said how she was the most kindhearted Lunar to ever live.”

“I’m not sure if Levana would’ve loved to hear that,” Cinder couldn’t help but reply. 

“No, she wouldn’t. That’s why my father made sure to never say that to her face. I’m sure my mother would’ve made the loveliest quilt just for you. Oh, I can imagine it. Stitches of stars that shine from above. Stepmother wouldn’t love that. Not one bit.” From the corner of her eye, Winter spotted a fractured fountain in the center of the plaza. “There. Come sit with me.” Grabbing her hand, she led Cinder to the stone edge of the inactive fountain. 

By its broken pieces and the immobile construction equipment, Cinder figured who the original person the fountain had showcased. They both sat in silence, their eyes wandering around the plaza of Artemisia. The queen recalled the responses the Lunar folk gave to Winter. Condolences, requests, recognition. It all came so naturally. And yet with her, barely anyone could withstand eye contact with her. Despite her optimistic promises, they still somehow saw her aunt in her. 

_They shouldn’t have to fear me._ Cinder pursed her lips. Nobody should look at the royalty and feel afraid for any misconduct, no matter how innocent. They should look at their queen and feel hope. And adoration. 

_It’s now or never._

About to open her mouth to speak, Winter beat her to it. “I must thank you, Selene. Not just for hanging out with me this afternoon, but for everything else. Taking your rightful throne was the greatest mercy Luna has ever received. Seeing everyone today, so happy with their lives. You can’t help but feel everything is going to be fine.”

Cinder agreed. It sure _seemed_ like everything would be fine. “It certainly must’ve not been easy for you or anyone, dealing with Levana for so long. How she hurt people. Hurt _you_ , her own family. It’s horrible.” 

Winter nodded, reaching to graze her three scars once more. The skin iced her fingertips. Levana’s hold over her, forcing her to grip the fork and dig it into her flesh. The frost it left behind, sometimes she still shivered from it. “Indeed it was. But now you’re here, Selene. To right the wrongs. So queenly of you.” They took a brief break in their conversation, and Winter started to hum again, quieter and more distant. 

Cinder swallowed, finally urging herself to ask the question. “Um, Winter?”

“Yes?” She asked, halting her humming and pleasantly awaiting her question. 

Cinder wanted to look down or lose her attention in the surroundings. But she couldn’t. She knew she couldn’t. She needed to face her hypothetical new queen. Straightening her spine, Cinder took a deep breath and said, “I’ve taken the time to think about it, and I don’t think I’d be the best person to fill this role. As queen. And I’m grateful that we succeeded in taking down Levana, but Luna deserves something more. A better leader. Someone who _knows_ how to be royalty. And being a cyborg and a mechanic for all my life, I don’t think I’m the queen that Luna truly deserves. That true queen, the one I’ve been picturing, is you. So Winter, do you want to be the queen of Luna?”

The former princess widened her eyes. Throughout her declaration, her face was almost unreadable to the queen. Was it shock? Confusion? Distaste? Honor? Before she could think of an answer, Winter’s body started to tremble. She dropped her head to her hands, and her hips were losing balance over the surface of the seat.

“Winter?” Cinder questioned with concern, but she didn’t reply. On her end, the sky rained red.


	5. Fresh Cleanse

“Winter! Winter!” Cinder held onto her step-cousin’s body as she collapsed over the seat of the fountain. Winter dangerously shivered, and the teary gloss in her widened eyes didn’t ease her horror at all. 

The blood—she could feel the warm, red liquid crawling over her body. The sky screamed buckets upon buckets of blood. No crater, no Lunar was safe from the stars’ wrath. It scalded her skin, igniting headache after headache. Each one was more intense than the last. Despite the disaster occurring around her and her cowering body, Winter’s face was in more of a trance. The sight of her dearest cousin completely untouched by the blood comforted her. 

“Oh Selene,” Winter’s words were slightly slurred yet still relatively audible to the queen. “You...You’re so pure.” 

Cinder raised her eyebrow at the strange comment but shook her head, focusing on what needed to be done at this very moment. Winter was undergoing a Lunar sickness episode and judging by her catatonic state, this could be damaging.

Thank the Stars she ordered the guards to watch the surveillance cameras because soon enough, a multitude of guards raced towards their location like their arrival was on a schedule. Or perhaps, they had been loitering the town square all along, watching their beloved princess from afar. And as expected, Jacin was among them. The first to approach them, he didn’t waste any time holding Winter in his arms. It was a rare sight, witnessing the blank guard embracing his princess with a stern, troubled expression. Cinder would’ve ogled at it longer if it weren’t for the situation they were in.

“You should’ve let us come. I-We could’ve gotten here faster.” Jacin glared in Cinder’s direction, but the desperation lingering in his blue eyes decided for her to deem the concern as justified.

“I know! I know! I should’ve been more responsible. Enough of that right now. We have to take her back to the palace.” Cinder urged. Nodding, Jacin tenderly lifted Winter into his arms. Without a worry for the pressing eyes upon him, he whispered sweet nothings to the immobile princess, reminding her to think of his rescue and what they would do after the fact. What stood out to Cinder was his claim to “listen to the wolves.” 

“Ryu…” Everyone leaned closer to hear her hushed voice as if begging for any sign of life. Winter fell silent again, but her breathing began to steady and she stared aimlessly at the bleeding sky. 

Sighing in relief with her heart still pounding in her chest, Cinder ordered to the other guards in the most queenly voice she could muster, “Quickly. Lead us back to the palace. Winter needs help immediately.” 

“Yes, my queen,” All of the guards bowed, including Jacin, albeit heavily, and they made haste to the palace entrance. 

On their departure, Cinder walked beside Jacin, “Her Lunar sickness...it’s getting worse, isn’t it?” Even though he continued to look in front of him, cold and stern like a soldier, she could sense the clench in his jaw and the harden in his glare.

“That damn doctor keeps making her use her glamour. Does she not understand how sensitive it is? How one little slip up could bring her further into madness? This is why she never should’ve volunteered,” he said. 

Cinder wanted to add that the experiments were necessary for the replica of Linh Garan’s bioelectrical security system, but she bit back her tongue. She didn’t want to piss him off more than he already felt. 

Instead, she sympathized, “I know. It’s dangerous for her. If I had known that it was this serious then I would’ve left her to rest.” She remembered how before the outing, Winter lied in her bed, feverish and drained. Yet the clarity in her voice, her sprouting out of bed like it was nothing, singing her lungs out, easily made it seem she wasn’t ill at all. It merely glamoured her into perceiving Winter as fine. 

“And I...I understand that she feels like she has to do more. But there’s a limit to these kinds of things. I’m worried that she might be killing herself with all this pressure she’s putting onto herself.” Jacin sighed, “What does it matter? She doesn’t listen to me anyway.” Away from Cinder’s vision, he solemnly smiled. It disappeared when he took another look at his princess, dazed and struggling to speak.

“N-No...the palace...don’t take me...it bleeds.” 

“Shh, it’s okay Winter. I promise you that it’s not. We’re almost there, just a little longer,” he whispered.

What she said next puzzled him, “Selene...I wish to see Selene.”

As he peeked behind him, Cinder had already heard her request. The queen moved her head closer to Winter’s vision. She smiled and asked, “Can you see me?”

It marveled the former princess that not a single drop of blood splashed onto Cinder’s skin. Her eyes leered downwards onto the ground. Zero of her footprints left behind a trail of blood, instead, the puddles corrupting the ground dispersed at each step the queen took. Winter returned the smile, “Yes. Yes, I can. So pure.”

Once the guards secured Cinder and Winter into the palace walls, Jacin immediately headed to her bedroom with the queen following close behind. As Cinder pulled the covers away, Jacin gently placed her body into the bed like she was made of glass. She settled into the silk sheets, and Cinder tucked her into bed. 

“I’ll go get her nurse. Stay with her,” Jacin commanded. Cinder complied without question, and the guard hurried out of the room. The familiar surroundings seemed to soothe Winter a little as a short flicker swam in her eyes, and a quiet choke slithered out of her throat. 

A bit unsure of what to do with the situation, Cinder concluded that it wouldn’t be helpful to uncomfortably stand there, waiting for Jacin and the nurse’s return without assisting her step-cousin. Kneeling alongside the bed, Cinder hesitantly caressed her sweaty forehead that heated her palm upon touch alone. Her chest pressed against the edge of the bed as she looped her arm over Winter’s collarbone, resting her head over her shoulder.

She mimicked Jacin’s consoling, “Don’t worry, Winter. Jacin’s coming back with your nurse. They should be here any second now.” Even if it was a little awkward for her, since she wasn’t used to situations like this, she was relieved that Winter felt the opposite and even started to faintly hum that wolf song. 

Six minutes later, the nurse arrived with a damp rag and a cup of medicine in hand. While Jacin and Cinder hung back, the nurse reassured them that these episodes usually ended quickly, and letting her rest was the safest bet, considering there wasn’t much one could do to treat Lunar sickness, besides just letting it run its course. 

For supper, the royal chefs eagerly served vegetable soup for the evening, courtesy for the ill princess. Throughout the night, Cinder and Jacin occupied Winter’s room, having no desire to leave her side. Iko stopped by to check on the former princess too, offering light to the room by utilizing engaging conversation on her own. Fortunately, her state seemed to be improving. The medicine extinguished her semi-fever, and the divine soup saturated her body. Also, the presence of her step-cousin and lover enlightened her to speak coherently again. When she returned to her harmless teasing, the blood had disappeared. 

As much as she insisted that she was well enough to stand up and walk again, Jacin responded with, _“Absolutely not. You’re staying in that bed. I’ll be standing outside your door to make sure you don’t get yourself into trouble again.”_

Well into the late hours of the night, Winter laughed to herself. He really did! Jacin, keeping watch like a standard guard, barricaded an option of escape outside her door. She smiled at how stubborn _he_ could be sometimes. Oh, how she loved him so much. And to add to the cherry on top, Cinder stayed by her side as well. She informed her that she would stay for the night until she fell asleep. Winter relaxed at the sight of her sitting cross-legged at the end of the bed, wearing a white robe and sipping from a steaming cup of tea.

Still strained from her episode, Winter happily closed her eyes and let the tranquil atmosphere take her in. Not falling asleep, however. Having her step-cousin close by and her lover at a good distance, a nostalgic feeling could be well of a cure enough. 

“You always manage to amaze me, Selene,” Winter’s voice was wispy, but Cinder could still hear her. “Being queen, hanging out with me, taking care of me, how could I thank you enough? This reminds me of our childhood. Ah, what a gift you have brought me.”

Cinder eyed her half-empty teacup, pursing her lips at her reflection from the brown murky sea. Messy hair, of all and always. “If only I could remember those good times though,” Cinder admitted, guiltily squinting her eyes into the tea.

“You’re still here, even if you barely remember our friendship. That’s enough I’d say,” Winter reassured.

“But I want to remember. I wish that things were different. That the whole situation was different. If Levana was never queen, then we’d have a stronger friendship...and maybe I’d know how to handle this whole queen thing. If I had always lived this life from the start,” she muttered in the remainder of her sentence. 

Winter caught onto it however as Cinder continued, “Maybe it’s my fault that you had that episode. I should’ve never asked you to be queen. It’s a dumb and selfish idea.” 

The loud scratch in Winter’s abrupt laughter slightly startled the queen. “Is that what you were on about, dear Selene? You thought that you wouldn’t be a good queen?” Cinder flushed in embarrassment at Winter’s response, chortling like it was the most hilarious joke she had ever heard.

“Well...yeah,” Cinder replied dumbly. She would’ve facepalmed if she wasn’t holding a tepid cup of tea.

“Hehe, silly, silly you. Why would you ever believe such a thing?”

“What do you think? I mean, look at you!” Cinder straightened her upper body as she exaggeratedly gestured towards her with a shot of her right arm, shifting the enitre teacup to her left hand. “You are the _definition_ of royalty! You’re charismatic, loved by everyone, experienced, beautiful, and most importantly, kindhearted. Luna _needs_ that type of queen, and in my opinion, you fit perfectly into that category.” Cinder paused. She formed an unamused smile and returned both hands to cup her drink. The warmth crept into her palms, but she didn’t find any comfort in the otherwise satisfying sensation.

“And look at me. No matter what title I’m given: a lost princess, a queen, a revolutionary, a criminal. I still can’t help but see myself as the cyborg mechanic. I know absolutely nothing about being a queen.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re jealous of me,” Winter bluntly giggled at the end of her claim.

“Maybe I am,” Cinder widened her eyes with an unpleasant realization. Winter frowned at the certainty in her voice. “What if I am jealous? Then...then what if that means-”

“Nope! Don’t finish that sentence,” Winter shook her head and pushed the covers away from her, springing up to capture Cinder’s face into her hands, preparing for a grand pep talk.

“Winter, you have to lay back down. You need to rest,” Cinder reached for her shoulders to nudge Winter back down, but she didn’t budge. Cinder gulped at the lack of playfulness that was previously present within her.

“Please don’t think you’re anything like Stepmother. Or should I start fearing for my life?”

Cinder shook her head and erased the ridiculous thought, “No. You’re right. I’m not like her at all. But...I still don’t think I’m the right queen for Luna. At the council meeting with the Earthen leaders, I could barely keep my act together. When I was sitting in that room, I felt so unlike myself. I felt so out of place and disorderly like I didn’t belong there among people like them. Like you. Winter, you understand who you are. You would be a confident, compassionate leader, who understands exactly what Luna needs. How can I understand what Luna needs when I can’t even understand myself?”

“Is that a bad thing?” Winter inquired. “Come on friend, you can’t possibly think that everyone expects you to be a master at something that was only given to you a month ago.”

“Shouldn’t I though? During the revolution, everyone seemed confident that I could do it. Lunars and Earthens risked their lives to get me onto the throne, all because they had faith in me. Even my own friends stuck by me to see me sitting in that tall chair. What if I fail them? Fail everyone! All that would’ve been for nothing.”

Cinder turned her head away, prompting Winter to release her grip over her cheeks. She grunted at the incoming wave of nausea that crashed into her brain. Responding quickly, Cinder lowered Winter’s head back into the soft pillow. The pain nulled to the back of her head, eventually growing a bit more tolerable to deal with. Now that she could think better, a realization overpowered the effects of her migraine.

“May I tell you a story?” Winter asked. 

Glad that there was a change in subject, Cinder said, “Sure. I’m all ears.” She took a sip of her tea.

“Earth began to bleed. The land, the sea, the clouds from above, all of it was being drenched in red. Nobody could stop it, and nobody knew where it was coming from. They could only stand there and watch as it poured over them,” Winter started, inwardly bracing herself for another potential episode just by mere mention. Cinder ceased her drinking to absorb the details of the tale, conflicted as to why Winter was telling a story like this. Not a funny incident, or a fond memory, something unknown entirely.

But she kept going, “Luna watched from afar in the stars. Lunars disregarded it at first, waving it off as an Earthen issue. Until the stars extended their call to the very moon. Soon, Luna was bleeding too and the inhabitants suffered along with it. The palace was crumbling in on itself, blood flooding the moats that surrounded it. Strangers, acquaintances, everyone we know was covered with it. Myself, included. Everywhere we walked, everything we touched, left something behind. Except for you.” 

Cinder raised her head from the teacup. As she glanced towards Winter, she had already lifted herself from the bed. “Winter-” she warned, but she was interrupted.

“Out of everyone on Earth and everyone on Luna, you stayed yourself, Selene. It was like the stars were avoiding you. They didn’t want to paint a single part of your body.” 

Her glamour. Of course. That must’ve been the content behind her intense episodes. And she had a similar experience not too long ago with her own glamour projecting blood on her hands. The difference was that her mind adhered to a different kind of fate.

_“Oh, Selene. You...You’re so pure.”_

“So what are you trying to say? That this is the universe’s way of telling me that I should stay as the queen of Luna?” Cinder dryly implied.

“Yes. That’s exactly it. Good job catching on, friend,” Winter gave a toothy smile, adding a trace of sarcasm herself. Then, she shrugged, “Or I’m just crazy. I don’t know.”

“No offense, but the latter seems more likely,” Cinder chuckled.

“Perhaps. I, however, would like to believe in the stars.”

As they fell into a short silence, Cinder stared at what was left of her reflection in the tea. Almost gone now, she could spot parts of her eyes and chin. Winter’s story got to her a little. Was it simply just predestined for her to be the queen of Luna? The drive that kept her going to overthrow Levana? The capabilities that everyone saw in her? Why Thorne, Iko, Scarlet, Wolf, and Cress stuck around? Was it just natural for them to believe in her? Cinder humorlessly chuckled, finding it nonsensical to lie with fate to find a reason for her place for being on the throne. 

A major part of her couldn’t deny that the involvement of her friends, their faith in her, pushed her through the revolution. Without them, she’d be stuck in New Beijing with Adri and Pearl. Tossed aside like scrap, deemed as useless until it was convenient for you. Or most likely, dead even. She would’ve been truly alone. 

Cinder widened her eyes, her brain firing her circuits as they enthused over her incoming idea. And this one seemed a lot less stupid.

“Winter, could you...teach me how to be queen?”

Winter’s expression brightened at the proposition. 

“You could teach me everything. How to handle meetings, proper mannerisms, etiquette, best plans for actions. You said that you wish you could be doing more. Well, this is your chance. You’d be doing a great favor, not just for me but for all of Luna.” As she eagerly placed her hands on her step-cousin’s shoulders, Winter chuckled.

“Oh wow. It took you a while to think of that on your own?” 

“See? This is why I need you guys. To make sure that my brain is working properly.” 

Laughing a little harder, Winter nodded, “Of course I’ll help you, Selene. We all will. And even if you’re still unsatisfied with your role, and possibly go through with your republic plan, not just me, but Jacin, Iko, and Kai will assist you in whatever way we can. I’m sure that even your other friends, despite how far away they are, would come to join the fun too.” 

For a short while, Cinder’s retina display didn’t nag her. It almost felt uncanny how silent it was. Heart rate, respiration, perspiration—all at normal levels. Following suit with the elation, Cinder pulled Winter into a tight hug. Something that once felt so forgotten and lost came into both of their memories so effortlessly. 

“Thank you, Winter. I really needed to hear those words from my ambassador,” she said.

Winter warmly returned the hug, basking in the gesture from her step-cousin that she hadn’t come across since childhood. “It is my pleasure, your majesty.” They both steadily dispatched from the hug, and Winter yawned, her body adjusting to some sort of closure. “Hm, you’re right. I do need to rest. What do you say we start tomorrow? For your...lessons on how to be a queen from yours truly?”

Cinder chuckled and stepped off the bed, stretching her body. Her bones cracked as her muscles felt like they could breathe for the first time in ages. “Sounds good to me. Oh, and Winter, please take it easy with the experiments. I don’t like how Dr. Nandez may be pushing you. She said we might be closer to a prototype? I think your services are well used up for now.”

As much as Winter wanted to say how she didn’t mind, she admittedly didn’t want to worry her friends any longer. And she’d like to stop feeling like her head was going to explode every day. “I’ll need the extra time anyway. To teach you,” Winter considered before she felt like free-falling into her pillow and covers. “Goodnight Selene.” Picking up on the name, Winter resisted the urge to slap her forehead. “Oh my, I’ve been calling you that this whole time, haven’t I?”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind it at all. Goodnight to you too.” Cinder quietly shut Winter’s bedroom door and almost jumped at Jacin who was still guarding this door the whole time. 

“Is she asleep yet?” Jacin tiredly asked with his arms crossed.

“Just about to,” Cinder replied, and she found herself slapping her hand against his shoulder. “Hey, you should go to bed too y’know, and stop being a stalker.” 

Jacin closed his eyes and hummed with a small smirk. “Whatever. Get your rest too, your majesty.” 

“Oh I will,” Cinder suddenly gushed at the thought of sleeping. Tonight would be one hell of a rest. 

Before she could leave, Jacin spoke up, “I heard a little of what you two said in there by the way.”

“Hm, now you’re really a stalker,” she lightly joked but still lent an ear for what he wanted to say.

“Winter was right, you know. Don’t think for a second that you’re like Levana. I had to teach myself that too, but I’m certain of it now. So if you keep doubting yourself, think of that, got it?”

“Thanks. I will,” Cinder gave a lopsided smile, and the two of them left for their respective rooms. At least, the queen pondered the idea of one. The next guest room she was going to, she determined to make it her own.

* * *

When Kai connected to Cinder’s comm, he wasn’t expecting to witness her already in a conversation. He tilted his head at the queen facing away from him, nodding at each word that Winter said while sitting on her throne. In between them stood Iko, massaging the bottom of her chin with her pointer finger and thumb like she was considering something. Off to the side in the background was Jacin, his back casually pressed against the wall with his arms crossed, listening in on their conversation.

“Fold your hands like this and nod along with what Iko is saying. It emphasizes your attentiveness. Now, Iko is going to propose an idea for cyborg reform.” 

When she nodded in Iko’s direction, the android cleared her throat and spoke in a deeper and gruffer voice. “Your majesty, I would like to propose unto you an act that would _surely_ benefit the cyborgs. A cyborg-inclusive dating website where even they can find their potential soulmate. Tell me, what do you make of this?”

“Iko!” Cinder scolded with a laugh.

“No Selene, that’s not how you should respond,” she playfully lectured but had to laugh herself. 

Kai smiled and entered the session, “Why I think that sounds like an interesting idea.”

Cinder quieted and hesitantly faced the netscreen. As Kai gave a little sly wave, she shied away. “That...was on the whole time wasn’t it?”

“Only for me to catch onto this ‘cyborg dating website.’ Which I think sounds like a genius idea by the way.”

While Cinder only proceeded to blush harder, Iko beamed at Kai’s appearance and Winter kindly waved. “Hello, Emperor Kai. We were just calling you to see Cinder’s progress so far. I’ve been teaching her how to improve as a queen.”

“Oh! And Cinder will be getting a new room! We’re going to renovate a guest room tomorrow, and we’ll definitely need your input for a style choice. Cinder’s a disaster when it comes to these sort of things,” Iko added.

“I am not!” she defended.

“Cinder, scrap heaps, and tools hanging on the walls isn’t a style. It’s a garage or a junkyard.”

“Yeah, you might need my help,” Kai laughed, earning a glare from his girlfriend.

“Let’s just get back to the lesson,” Cinder interjected, relaxing herself to fix up her posture and pale her blush. She took a deep breath and leered an authoritative leer over Iko who narrowed her eyes in consideration. 

“Will this ‘cyborg dating website’ that you speak of, only include cyborgs? Because if so, that seems a bit counterproductive does it not? Everyone should be included: Lunars, Earthens, androids. It would make them feel less out of place, or cast aside. It could allow more openness between cyborgs and others. While it could be advertised as a cyborg-friendly platform, it shouldn’t just be exclusive to them, however. So, I’m not against the suggestion, but it needs some modifications as it were.” 

“Brillant. When would you like this act to be ordered, your majesty?” Iko asked.

“Prepare for it to be launched in the next two months. I can guarantee this will be a good step in the right direction for cyborgs.” Closing her eyes, Cinder turned towards the glowing netscreen. “So, what’d you think of that?”

“I’m listening to a queen already,” Kai smiled, and Cinder returned it with assurance. “And might I’d add that the Commonwealth gets early access to the launch of this website?”

“It will be done,” Cinder playfully rolled her eyes with a sigh. 

“I would feel like it if you all took this seriously,” Jacin remarked.

“We are. This is an extremely important suggestion that I’m going to bring up at the next council meeting with the Earthen leaders,” Iko replied.

Jacin raised an eyebrow, “Right, sure.” Iko raised her eyebrow with him, mocking his stance by crossing her arms as well. “You’re serious?” he deadpanned.

“Am I?”

“I look forward to hearing what else you have to say, Miss Iko,” Cinder pressed her lips into a thin line, now trying to practice not to laugh with her friend.

While Winter peacefully listened to Jacin’s protests, Cinder’s queenly manner, Iko’s elaborations on the dating website, and Emperor Kai playing along with the false negotiation, she stared off a little into space in a contemplative somewhat dreamlike state. 

A week had passed since her intense episode. Here and there, her glamour offset her but it leveled to its more tame condition. Only mere visions or hearing imaginary voices that she felt she had heard before but couldn’t identify. Nothing too strange or significantly specific. She considered it to be a welcome rest after she stopped volunteering for Dr. Nandez. 

Or, she found herself liking this idea better, she had listened to the stars’ plea. They too deserved a nice, long rest. To illuminate the same brilliance they once had before they burst into a dull red. As far as she knew, Earth and Luna would stay unhindered by their indignation. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought this fic would be a nice thing to write because I really wish we saw more of Cinder and Winter's relationship in the books. And it was something short and sweet for me to write to pass the time. So what did you guys think? I hope you enjoyed it since I didn't intend for this to be long, and I wanted to explore more of their relationship.


End file.
